Interesting News

[cheech4]

Just read this article found it very interesting, wanted to share.

Sprint, Falcone’s LightSquared Said to Discuss Network Deal - Businessweek

[Slingbox]

Sprint is all over the place with no true plan as usual

[lnichols]

Originally Posted by Slingbox

Sprint is all over the place with no true plan as usual

+1000.... Sprints current 4G fiasco relies on Clearwire, which isn't healthy financially, and basically WiMax is a losing tech for phones now that everyone else has decided to embrace LTE. So they invested good amounts of money in Clearwire and gave them spectrum, and Clearwire basically has almost stopped deploying WiMax at the moment. Now Sprint is having to look at other partners for a 4G strategy which maybe LTE. If Clearwire goes under that spectrum will be sold off to the highest bidder(s), which won't be Sprint because they don't have the finances to pull it off!

[ZMc1834]

This reminds me of when HD DVD's and Blu-Ray came out. HD DVD's got left behind and everyone that didn't start with Blu-Ray switched to it. This is where I currently see Sprint. They started with Wi-Max got out of the gate quick, but LTE is where everything and everyone is going, and Sprint needs to switch now before they lose anymore ground getting into the LTE side.

[Slingbox]

Originally Posted by ZMc1834

This reminds me of when HD DVD's and Blu-Ray came out. HD DVD's got left behind and everyone that didn't start with Blu-Ray switched to it. This is where I currently see Sprint. They started with Wi-Max got out of the gate quick, but LTE is where everything and everyone is going, and Sprint needs to switch now before they lose anymore ground getting into the LTE side.

Right on!
I remember the format war quite well Ive been member of Blu-ray.com since 2007.
Sprints is definitely playing that game Its pretty sad really.
I'm betting they loss big time due to it.

[lnichols]

Yep Sprint has wasted how many years and Billions on this WiMax rollout? What do they have to show for it? A ridiculously small footprint for a network that isn't even that fast, and that they don't even technically own or have any real rights too. They could have rolled out EVDO RevB, or HSPA+ and probably had a much more capable network than what they have now. Unfortunately when you try to do the Bleeding edge tech to soon it can make you bleed bad if you mess it up.

[Terrellizme]

well, the good this is that sprint can change to LTE with a change in hardware & firmware update sent to the current Wimax devices...and BAM! LTE network up & running.

[Slingbox]

Originally Posted by Terrellizme

well, the good this is that sprint can change to LTE with a change in hardware & firmware update sent to the current Wimax devices...and BAM! LTE network up & running.

Unfortunately firmware to current device wont get the job done chips are not lte capable.

[cheech4]

if clearwire does get in trouble financially, Sprint owning over half the company can easily by them out at a much cheaper price. if not and they do auction off spektrum so what, Sprint has 3 times the amount of spektrum over Verizon with there cdma spektrum and Iden .there sitting on 6 billion in cash reserves, thats plenty of money to do what ever they want and the route there going with lightsquare is a smart one.

[lnichols]

Originally Posted by cheech4

if clearwire does get in trouble financially, Sprint owning over half the company can easily by them out at a much cheaper price. if not and they do auction off spektrum so what, Sprint has 3 times the amount of spektrum over Verizon with there cdma spektrum and Iden .there sitting on 6 billion in cash reserves, thats plenty of money to do what ever they want and the route there going with lightsquare is a smart one.

You should look at this article as it explains some of the complexity of Clearwire's financial problems for both Clearwire and Sprint:

Sprint’s 4G Lead at Risk Amid Clearwire Cash Crunch - Bloomberg

Also that iDen and CDMA spectrum is being used. They'd have to shut down the iDen network and then reuse that spectrum for 4G. That would take a lot of time as you can't just cut off service to existing customers because of regulatory matters and they'd have to be transitioned to the CDMA network. This is something that should have already been done a long time ago. Sprint has some cash, but they have a lot more debt that they are still required to make payments on and they can't drop their cash reserves below a certain point without putting their own bonds in default.

Meanwhile T-Mobile is out there looking for LTE Spectrum for a 2014 to 2015 rollout and are rolling out and expanding a HSPA+ network that is faster and larger than the Clearwire WiMax network. I really liked that T-Mobile announced their plan through 2015 to investors and it is an achievable plan. They will be upgrading to 42 Mbps HSPA+ this year, then to 84 Mbps, and possible 168 Mbps before adding in LTE, and by that time LTE should be more mature. They are also gunning to displace Sprint as the number three carrier in the US, and have very little debt. If they execute the plan they laid out in January, they should do this easily.

[eve6er69]

this is why i am holding off on 4g. honestly with my BB i dont think i would need it. i mean i bbm and txt and call ALOT but i dont thing 4g would help me.

when BB becomes a media style phone with netflix streaming then maybe ill think about 4g.

[spencerdl]

Originally Posted by eve6er69

this is why i am holding off on 4g. honestly with my BB i dont think i would need it. i mean i bbm and txt and call ALOT but i dont thing 4g would help me.

when BB becomes a media style phone with netflix streaming then maybe ill think about 4g.

I agree with you , I just dont use my phone for media of that magnatude. Not to mention the screen isn't that big to take a movie in and be comfortable Thats what the PLAYBOOK is for